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Belarus & NW Russia
I'm thinking of doing a motorbike a trip next summer that enters Belarus via Brest, before continuing on to Moscow, St Petersburg and then looping back south-west to Latvia and back to the UK via the other Baltic FSU States, Poland & Germany etc.
- What's ppl's experience of Belarus? Particularly in terms of dealing with the authorities, bearing in mind it's labelled as 'Europe's last dictatorship'. I'm a male Brit citizen travelling solo. - On the road from Minsk to Moscow, are there any particularly good things to stop and see en route? - What are people's experiences of road conditions, particularly compared to other FSU countries, like Romania & Bulgaria. Similarly variable once you get off the main roads/motorways? Any other general information anyone thinks might be of interest would be gratefully received, as I'm still in the early stages of planning. Thanks in advance for any tips. Ed. |
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Hi, I travelled pretty much the same route in summer 2013, check out my blog-
Travel Blog: Jcontheroad JC |
my wife is Belorusan from Brest, I have travelled there several times.
Roads are generally good. Better than many Polish roads and certainly better than Romania. I believe the road from Moscow was built for the Olympics and is in good condition. Most of the main roads in Belarus are in good condition. back roads are good quality graded dirt roads. The road from Brest to Minsk is a good quality dual carriageway or good single carriageway main road. make a day to visit Brest fortress, very impressive and interesting. I presume you will be entering Belarus at teresspol. The border can be easy, or a challenge!! depends who is on duty!! It takes from 2-6 hours. If there is a queue, drive to the front and ask around as many people may be waiting for other reasons (for example there are quotas about how much foreign goods people can bring in daily/weekly so they sit at the border waiting for the time to come round) and as a foreigner on a bike you may get pushed through ahead of others. My wife managed to get 11 motorbikes and my truck through in 2 1/2 hours!! However, when we did the same trip with my parents in their car and us in mine it took 6 hours. Last time I did it on my own I had to ring my wife for help:oops2:. You are given a piece of paper to take around the various stages of border control to get stamped. Once you have a full set of stamps (sorry, can't remember how many) you can go. This paper is then checked by the guard to ensure you have done everything. I got turned back at this point because I was missing a stamp. The guy at the customs post wouldn't help me at all and just left me standing outside. I finally rang my wife, who happened to know some senior officer on the border who then came over from his office and gave the customs guy an earful!! It turned out all he had to do was print a form off his computer in English for me to fill out, but he couldn't be bothered! Bribes at the border are not possible. There was a big anticorruption campaign a few years back. The police in country can be bribed if necessary. they like euros. They will start high (maybe 50E) but 20 is plenty and you can get away with 5 or 10. frequently I go away with nothing!! For the sake of those that havew to follow, haggle!! bear in mind average wages are low so 20 euros is a lot of money! (my wife earned $160 a month as a teacher) You will need some money at the border to pay duties and for photocopying but not very much You can buy 3rd party insurance and change money at the border. I think it covers you for all of Russia. Don't even think about trying it without insurance. You will get pulled at some point and if you don't have it, or green card, your in doodoo. Also, you may be checked on exit that you have it, if you don't, again, big doodoo. Changing money out of country is almost impossible (remember belorusan rubbles are not the same as Russian rubles) so change all the money you need to before you leave agin, or you'll be stuck with it. The money takes some getting used to, it's all notes, no coins, and the numbers are huge!! At the border your vehicle is inputed to their computer system as a temporary import. It must be checked out again. Different border posts are not linked by computer so make sure they know you are leaving via a different border point. You must have all original documents (vehicle registration etc) If you are staying more than a few days you must register with the authorities. The political situation is fine. the exact situation can vary at short notice, for example I have come across restrictions on buying fuel in euros, on buying fuel in rubbles, on duty free etc etc. it changes each time I go. Avoid talking politics. The big man is not keen on dissent and there are people who will stitch people up. not necessarily you, but the people you talk to. Imprisonment without trial but with a good beating is not unusual for the locals, although foreigners are, in my experience, treated well. The people are lovely once you get through their initial reserve, they can be wary of strangers. They see very few tourists outside the big cities so as a foreigner on a big motorbike you might as well have come from mars!! If you need any specific info or help let me know, my wife has family in Brest and if you need it I can PM you my number to ring if you need help/translation. |
Unless there is something particular you'd like to see in Belorussia, I'm not sure why you should even go there? I'm sure it is safe enough and the roads are fine, but it is another visa and in terms of scenery, etc. it is going to be pretty much the same as Russia and Ukraine.
Staying with your general route, you could ride through the baltics, into Russia near Pskov (very nice city) then to St Pete, then Moscow, then either back through Kiev or if you have more time down to the Crimea or down along the Volga before heading back west. In general all of the major highways in Russia (well, everywhere really) are boring as hell and you'll have a much more interesting time on smaller roads. |
Belarus is probably the most 'Soviet' of the former soviet states left, it is a fascinating trip back into a former time if you take the trouble to get under it's skin. Get out in the countryside and see the real Belarus. Yes, the countryside is similar to Russia and Ukraine, but the character of the country is very different.
http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...psb8e726f7.jpg http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps64143c9f.jpg http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps21e14b46.jpg http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps35d83614.jpg the national forest centre is also quite interesting. http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps025a66c1.jpg However. much of the scenery is the same, Forrest or fields!! http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...psc9c6088b.jpgYou http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps26b422ff.jpg http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9cdbf4d6.jpg You could travel North to south on a main road and think 'was that it' but it can be an interesting country rarely visited by travellers It really depends on what you want |
Don't think I'm on some kind of anti-Belorussian crusade--I'm not--but while I'm sure Belorussia has a unique feel, any of those pictures could have been taken in Russia.
In my view the main reason to avoid Belorussia are three: 1) requires an extra visa; 2) if the plan is to simply drive along the main highway towards Moscow, it will be a very boring ride and hardly worth the extra visa you had to get and indeed to be avoided if possible; and 3) Belorussia is small enough that it is very easy to simply bypass via other routes which in themselves are probably not less interesting than Belorussia (ie, Baltics, Kiev, etc.). If someone doesn't find those to be good reasons than by all means go to Belorussia and enjoy. |
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like I said, it depends on what you want. If you want to drive forest tracks then Poland has got plenty, it's even the same forest! and you'll save a stack on diesel and visas. But if you want different cultures, then you have to visit different countries. First time I drove to Russia I did exactly what you suggest and went via Ukraine, based on the advice of others. when I went to Belarus some years later I realised that, on that trip, I had missed out on something interesting, although I did have the advantage of knowing people there which has always given me an 'in' to the culture. But, everyone is different, and everyone travels for their own reasons. If it's just a drive through to get somewhere else then I would say don't bother. Some might find Belarus fascinating, especially if you stay a while. some might wonder why they bothered so you have to draw your own conclusions. |
I have just had a reply about Visas from Real Russia and apparently I have to stop in hotels for my complete duration of stay in Belarus :helpsmilie:
Quote fro Real Russia To get a Belarus tourist visa you will have to book a hotel for the whole period of your stay in Belarus. Moreover, you will have to check-in and check-out in these hotels. Probably, do you have any friends in Belarus who could provide you with a private letter of invitation to Belarus? Or will be staying in hotels fine for you? If you book hotels in Belarus by yourself, then please contact each hotel to get letters of invitation. As at the moment a visa is issued according to a letter of invitation you provide. Moreover, you have to book hotels for the whole period of your stay in Belarus. Otherwise, you could book hotels in Belarus with us. We will take care about a letter of invitation for you in this case. You could check our hotel options here: https://www.realrussia.co.uk/hotels/ Ummmmm, so much for saving money :confused1: |
a visa booking service could sort out a letter of invitation for you, I got one through my visa agent in Southsea the first time I went. TBH though, hotels can be found which are pretty cheap.
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